Collapsible cabinet



Patented Feb. 24, 1942 "UN TED 1f. sTATE S PATENT s OFFICE y CoLLAPsIBLE oABINET y Harry Derman, Laurelton, N. Application February 24, 1941, serial Norssogis I s claims." (o1. '31a- 144) This invention relates to 'collapsible cabinets particularly-of the type employingcorrugated or ber board walls with wood strip reenforcements, and the object'iof the invention is to provide a 'cabinet of the characterL described employinga "door `frame unit comprising a 'rigid wood f-rame dening a `door opening and doors movably mounted -in`said frame for `controlling said openwithout the useof hinges, a` still further object being to provide cooperating means between the doorsv and'frame for supportingV the doors in `closed position, and with theseand other objects in view, theinvention consists in a, cabinet ofthe vclass and for the purpose specified, which is simple in construction, efcient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described. The invention is f ully ldisclosed in the followingv specification of `which the 'accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the several parts `of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in eachI of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view'o/f a cabinet showg ing one form of the 'improvedconstruction Fig. 6 is a partial section on the line 6 6 rof y Fig. 5. l i y In producing collapsiblev cabinets, and particularly cabinets of the inexpensive type constructed f of corrugated orl bjer board and wood reenforcing strips or rails, it'has been the custom when swinging doors are desired to employ hinges of a more or less conventional type. are employed, however, it is necessary to use two ,or three hinges on each door, thereby adding Inaterially to the cost of the cabinet not only be cause of the initial-cost of the hinges, but/also because lpf the labor involved in positioning and mounting these hinges. Furthermore, the small inexpensive hinges normally usedin cabinets of 'the class under consideration. provide a very'light door mounting/"which is loose-jointed, noisy and generally impractical. It/i's the object of the present invention to provide a newtype ot swinging door mounting which not only is simple'and inexpensive in construction, 4but which also inv When hinges ingyafV further object being to provide means for pivotlyV mounting thesWing doors in a frame sures sturdy support and smooth operation of the doors while at the same time improving the appearance of the cabinet.

'Io illustrate one adaptation of my invention, I `have shown in Figs. 1c to 3 of the drawing, a cabinet I0 comprising a unitary member II forming side and rearV walls of the cabinet, top and bottom walls I2 detachable with respect to the member II, anda front door frame unit I3. The frame I3 includes transverse'rails I4 grooved to engage flanges I2a on the top and bottom Walls,

i and vertical rails I5 grooved to engage flanges or front panels IIa of the member II. The rails I5 are preferably interlocked with the rails I4 as seen in Figs. 2 and 3v of the drawing at points inwardly of theerids of the rails I4, and may be secured together bysuitable-ceme'nt or attaching devices. The door frame unit I3 further includes a -pair of swinging doors IB-I 6a supported in the `frame asia permanent part thereof.. It will thus be apparent, that the complete cabihet comprises essentially four detachably relatedy partswhich may be quickly and readily assembled and joinedtogether 'in the usual manner by suitable fastening devices in setting up the cab-` inet for use.

' Each of thedoors II-'Ia comprises-a panel Ilof corrugated board' or the like, along vertical edges of which `a'rel arranged reenforcing w'ood strips of simple L-shaped contour as seen at I8, or of irregular contour as seen at 'I9-I9a. The irregular contours inthe strips I9-I9a provide an intertting relation between abutting edges of the doors when in closed position.; It will of course be apparent however, that in some forms of'construction the simple type o f reenforcing strip` I8 may be employed along both vertical edges of each door.- Inithe form of construction shown in ,.Figs. 1 to 4, Lhe.i'lrar'isverse wood strip 20 is employed along upper and lower edges of each door and intertting with the vertical strips Y, as seen at 2 l 'in Fig. 4, thereby producing a rigid and strong doonconstruction which .'.t the same time is neat and attractive' in appearance.

The ydoors I6I6a are pivotly mounted at re- `mote edges thereof inthe frame I3 by means of dowel pins 22 `(note particularly the lower end of same time the transverse rails I4 are moved to- -ward each other until the desired closeness of fit of the doors is obtained. The transverse rails are then positively secured to the vertical rails as previously described, thereby completing the main assemblage of the unit |3. To complete the unit I3, a stop strip 25 is secured along inner surfaces of the top and bottom transverse rails |4 in a manner to extend into the door opening as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and to register with inner surfaces of the vertical door strips |9|9a (note Fig.` 3). Centrally of the upper transverse rail and in the surface thereof, bounding however, the second door |6a is secured in the closed position through the door I6 by suitable catch devicesv 26-28a on the doorr strips In Fig. 5 of the drawing I have shown a somewhat modied construction wherein the vdoor frame unit is adapted to extend less than the full height of the front of the cabinet. As shown in Fig. 5, the side and rear wall member 28 and the `top wall member 29, correspond with the members and .I2 as shown in Figs. 1 to 3. The member 28 has front flanges orpanels 28a which engage channels in the vertical frame rails 30, while the top transverse frame rail 3| is grooved to receive a protruding' flange portion 29a of the top wall. The bottom transverse rail 3|a is provided with a vertical groove 32 in the lower surp face thereof to receive an'upwardly extending panel or iiange portion 33a on the bottom wall 33 of the cabinet. In other words, the door frame defined by the rails 30, A3| and 3|a willextend from the top of the cabinet to a point somewhat abovethe bottom of the cabinet, and the front of the cabinet below the door opening will vbe permanently closed by the panel 33a. It will be apparent in this connection, that if it is 'desired to mount the shortened door frame inwardly of both ends of the cabinet, transverse rails of the type shown at 3|a will be employed at both the top and bottom of the frame, and a top wall similar to the wall member 33-33a will be employed.

The rails 30, 3|, 3|a are secured together preferably in the interfltting manner previously described, to produce a` rigid frame construction,

doors and a spring catch member k3'1 similar to the member 26 is arranged on the lower surface of the rail 3| to resiliently engage the end of one or both of the door reenforcing strips 35a for supporting the doors in closed position.

The improved pivot mounting of the doors has been shown and described in connection with a unitary Ypreassembled door frame unit, since in light weight cabinets the rigidity thereby insured is of primary importance. It will be understood however, that the principles of the improved construction may be applied equally well to a cabinet construction wherein the transverse and vertical rails -of the door frame comprise integral parts of the detachably related sections of the cabinet. In such a cabinet, the doors would be separate from the other cabinet parts, and insertable in the door frame in the operation of a'ssembling the same.

It will also be understood that the invention is' not limited to the particular form of pivot pin or dowel which has been shown in the drawing. An important feature of the construction is,V to provide a two-point suspension of each door which is characterized by a degree of resistance \to pivotal movement of the doors which insures 'firm support and smooth operation thereof in the continued use of the doors.

Having fully described my invention,` what I claim as new and desire to lsecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a collapsible cabinet having a front door opening, a door frame unit comprising united and spaced Vertical and `transverse rails, said rails bordering the door opening of said cabinet,

- a swinging door in said frame, cooperating means and a pair of doors 34 are pivotly mounted in the frame by dowel pinsr 22a engaging recesses formed in the transverse rails 3|-3Ia and in ends of the door reenforcing strips 35.

The showing in Fig. 5 is further intended to illustrate a more inexpensive construction wherein no transverse reenforcing strips are employed at the top and bottom of the doormembers. The

adjacentlvertical reenforcing strips 35a as well as the strips 35 are of simple L-shaped contour as seen in Fig. 6 of the drawing, and if desired an auxiliary strip 36 may be secured along one of the strips 35 to overlap and substantially seal clearance spacebtween the'adjacent strips 35a. Suitable stop strips 25a similar to the strips 25, are employed on inner surfaces of the transverse rails 3|3|a to limit inward movement of the between the door and said transverse rails-of the frame adjacent one of the vertical rails forming a two-point pivotal mounting of the door in said frame, the end portions of the transverse rails projecting beyond said Vertical rails, said pivot means comprising a pin and socket construction, and the pivot means of the door being arranged on projecting end portions of the transverse rails. r 2.\A collapsible cabinet of the 'class described comprising detachably related top, bottom and unitary side and rear wall members, said members having flanges along front edges thereof, a separate door frame unit interfitting with said flanges, said door frame unit comprising pairs of vertical and transverse rails permanently secured together to form a rigid door frame, Ya pair of doors pivotly mounted in said frame, said transverse rails having end portions projecting beyond the vertical rails, and the pivot sides of the doors and said end portions of the transverse rails having cooperating means forming the pivot mounting of the doors in said door frame unit.

3. A collapsible cabinet of the class described vcomprising detachably related top, bottom, and unitary side, front, and rear wall members, a separate door frame unit detachably coupled with the top. bottom, and front wall members, said unit comprising pairs of vertical and transverse rails secured together to form a rigid frame unit, a pair of doors pivotally mounted in said unit, said transverse rails having end portions projecting beyond vthe vertical rails, the pivot sides of the doors and said end portions of the transverse rails having cooperating means forming the pivot mounting of the doors in said unit, said front wall portions extending from the vertical lrails to the side walls of the cabinet, and

the pivot sides of the doors having means bear` 4. A collapsible cabinet of the class described l comprising detachably related top, bottom, and unitary side, front and rear wall members, a

, separate door frame4 unit detachably coupled with the top, bottom, -and front wall members,

said unit comprising pairs of vertical and transverse rails secured together to form a rigid frame unit, a pair of doors pivotally mounted in said unit, saidtransverse rails having end portions projecting beyond the vertical rails, the pivot sides of the doors and said end portions of Ithe transverse rails having cooperating means forming the pivot mounting of the doors in said unit, said front Wall portions extending from the vertical rails to the side walls of the cabinet, the pivot sides of the 'doors having means bearing upon said front wall portions when the doors are in closed p'osition, and said transverse rails intermediate the vertical rails having means extending into the door opening limiting closng movement of said doors.

5. In a collapsiblevcabinet of the class described having a front door `opening bounded by vertically spaced transverse rails and inwardly extending front wall parts having finishing strips on the longitudinal edges thereof, the end portions of the'transverse rails-projecting beyond the door-opening and said strips and extending onto the front wall parts, a door mounted between said transverse rail, and means at upper and lower ends of one side. portion of the door and on projectinglend portions offsaid rails for pivoting the door for swinging movement bey tween said rails.

6. In a collapsible-cabinet of the class described having a front door opening bounded by vertically spaced transverse rails and inwardly extending front wall parts having finishing strips on the longitudinal edges thereof, the end portions l of the transverse rails projecting beyond the door opening and said strips and extending onto the front Wall parts, a door mounted between said transverse railsmeans at upper and lower ends of one side portion of the door and on projecting end portions of said rails Afor pivoting lthe door for swinging movement between said rails, the

pivot side portion of the door having aA reinforcing strip extending the full length thereof, and said strip engaging the front wall part ofthe cabinet intermediate the free edge of said Wall and the side portion of the cabinet.

7. In a collapsible cabinet of the class described having a front door opening bounded-byV vertically spaced transverse rails and inwardlyv extending front wall parts having finishing strips on the longitudinal edges thereof, the transverse rails having end portions projecting beyond the door opening and said strips and extending onto thefront wall parts, arpar of door controlling' said door opening, outer sides of the doors having reinforcing strips extending the full length thereof, means at the ends of said strips and on the projecting ends of said transverse rails for pivoting the doors for swinging movement in said rails, and the strips of said doors engaging the front wall' parts outwardly of the free edges thereof when the doors are in closed position.

8. In a collapsible cabinet of the class, described and having a front door opening bounded by vertically spaced transverse rails and inwardly extending front wall parts having finishing strips on the longitudinal edges thereof, the end portions of theftransverse rails extending onto the front wall parts beyond the limits of the v 

